Powered patch panel

ABSTRACT

A powered communications patch panel is adapted to power network devices connected to the communications patch panel. Power is supplied to the network devices by the powered communications patch panel over the communication cabling. The powered communications patch panel may be provided with a management port to allow remote management of the patch panel via a network connection. Multiple management ports may be provided, allowing patch panels to be connected to one another in a daisy-chain configuration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/119,009, filed Apr. 29, 2005, which claims priority to andincorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/567,765, filed May 3, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed generally to communications components andmore specifically is directed to systems and methods for managingcommunications networks using active jacks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of a local area network (LAN) to serve a wide range ofcommunication needs has continued to escalate, with networks growinglarger and denser. Issues with documenting and managing LANs havelikewise increased the need for timely response when connectivityproblems arise. This is even more important with the advent of voiceover internet protocol (VOIP) replacing the function of the traditionalphone network, but now operating over the same LAN as data services.Local area networks are subsuming more and more of the responsibilityfor carrying the total electronic communication capability of a businessor home.

A system which provides documentation, management and trouble shootingcapabilities should do so while keeping the need for human involvementat access points or patch panels to a minimum. Traditionally, telephonenetworks and data networks have been maintained as two separate networkswith their own wiring requirements and peculiarities. This has largelybeen due to the regulatory requirements on telephone service to supplylife line capability and electrical issues such as a relatively high DCring-tone voltage.

In many respects, LAN wiring schemes have followed telephone schemesinvolving wall jack panels leading back to patch panels. However, thecable types and characteristics have remained distinct. This is true forlarge offices, residential and Small Office-Home Office (SOHO) andMulti-Dwelling Units (MDU) installations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system isprovided which uses an active electronic jack. According to someembodiments of the present invention, the active jack can be located atthe wall in an enterprise office, in a patch panel within the cabledistribution plant, in a user device or in two or more of these areas.According to some embodiments of the invention, the active jack includesat least two 10/100 Mb/s Ethernet ports and is a network element (NE) onthe local area network (LAN). One Ethernet port of the active jack isthe network port and connects to the horizontal wiring of the LANsystem. At least one other port is the user port into which Ethernetcapable devices, such as a personal computer (PC) or a Voice over IP(VOIP) telephone, plugs into in order to gain access to the LAN. Theactive jack may act as a two port Ethernet switch routing data betweenthe two ports.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, physical locationinformation (i.e., room, floor, etc.) is associated with the MAC addressof the active jack. Since the active jack has a MAC address it respondsto Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests from the network andtransmits ARP messages when powered up or queried to indicate presenceon the network. The ARP message and the associated physical locationinformation of the active jack can be used to provide informationregarding the connectivity of the structured cable system, i.e., the LANcable plant.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the active jack isan electronic element that requires a source of DC power which can beobtained from Power Supplying Equipment (PSE) such as an IEEE 802.3AFcompliant source. Such sources are deployed in networks as the source ofDC power for an attached powered device (PD) such as a VOIP telephonethat receives power according to a power-over-network scheme. Accordingto some embodiments of the present invention, the power consumption ofthe active jack is minimal, with the remaining power forwarded to apowered device (PD) if one is connected.

There are several methods of supplying the active jacks with DC power.According to one embodiment of the present invention, PSE equipment suchas an Ethernet switch or IP router is used. According to anotherembodiment a patch panel or mid-span patch panel can be used. When apatch panel is equipped with active jacks, a managed structure cable PSEsystem is obtained. The scope of management that a patch panel has canbe enhanced if an active jack is used between the patch panel and theend device.

Current methods of cable plant management and security rely on havingthe state of the horizontal cable system and/or patch panels remainfairly constant. Further, if changes occur it is required that they arewell documented and manually entered in the security/management systemdatabase. According to one embodiment of the present invention, use ofactive jacks facilitates monitoring the state of the patch cords and thehorizontal cable system to provide a managed, structured cable system.If there is a removal or movement of a particular cable, the activejacks connected by the cable will lose upstream network connection. Anactive jack in a patch panel can detect the change periodically, forexample, via once-per-second “heart beat” IP transmissions to theupstream switch. Because the PSE and PD communicate, the PSE caninstantaneously report opens in the patch cord. Optionally, an activejack can send a message to a neighboring active jack to reportcommunication problems. When the connection is re-attached, the activejack may send out an ARP message to indicate that it is back on linewith any other devices connected to it. As the connection isre-established the switch port to the patch panel port is thusidentified, an important aspect to managing the patch cord connectivity.Since the physical location information can be associated with activejacks, even momentary changes to the cable plant may be recognized andlogged.

Since the active wall jack is a managed network element, remotevisibility is gained by the management and operations components of acommunications network. The active jack provides for remote monitoring,obviating or reducing the need to send out a technician to determine thestate of the equipment. Service, can be remotely suspended orre-instated. Furthermore, end point devices which connect to a networkusing active jacks can be inventoried and controlled as well.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, these managementand security aspects are utilized when customers use Soft IP phones orVOIP external hardware phones. The active wall jacks can offer powerover Ethernet (to power the phone) and/or provide a physical locationaddress to support E911 service.

To support lifeline VOIP, PSE switches may be used to ensure that allthe enterprise switches have enough DC power to survive an AC outage.The internal switches will continue to direct and manage VOIP calls tothe outside world but deny other IP data transactions. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, an advantage of the power patchpanel with the active jack is that it can allow the upstream switches topower down during an AC power outage. The traffic can then be directedto a “lifeline” VOIP gateway from the patch panel, with the lifelineVOIP gateway supporting voice traffic and/or a reduced volume of datatraffic.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a patch panel isprovided for supplying power to powered devices via communicationscabling. Power may be provided under the IEEE 802.3af standard or viaanother protocol such as a proprietary protocol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 a is an isometric view of an active wall jack;

FIG. 1 b is a side view of an active wall jack;

FIG. 2 a is a schematic diagram of an active wall jack;

FIG. 2 b is a schematic block diagram of an alternative embodiment of anactive wall jack;

FIGS. 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c illustrate different configurations of activeand standard wall jacks in outlet panels;

FIGS. 4 a, 4 b, 4 c, and 4 d are side views of alternative embodimentsof active wall jacks according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the entry of location data intoan active wall jack;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating power distribution and cablemanagement schemes using for active wall jacks;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a communications network usingactive jacks according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an emergency powering systemincorporating patch panels with active jacks;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a patch panel with active jacks and sharedcircuitry;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of an active jack according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a patch panel implementation according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a patch panel implementation according toanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a patch panel implementation according toanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a patch panel implementation according toanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a multiple-dwelling unit network accordingto one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a network according to one embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a powered patch panel assemblyaccording to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a top view of a powered patch panel circuit assemblyaccording to the embodiment of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the use of a powered patch panelaccording to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 20 a and 20 b are, respectively, front and top views of straightpowered patch panels in a rack environment; and

FIGS. 21 a and 21 b are, respectively, front and top views of angledpowered patch panels in a rack environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1 a, an isometricconstruction view of an active jack 10 is shown. The active jack 10comprises two housings 12 a and 12 b which can form plug receivingopenings 14 as shown in the drawing for the housing 12 b. According toan alternative embodiment of the present invention, one connector of theactive jack 10 is a pug and the other connector is an insulationdisplacement connector (IDC). The housings 12 a and 12 b may be of atype used for communication connectors as described more fully in U.S.Pat. No. 6,371,793, “Low Crosstalk Modular Communication Connector,” byDoorhy et al., issued Apr. 16, 2002 which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference. Mounted within the plug receiving opening are aplurality of conductors 16 which form a resilient contact with acommunications plug when the plug is connected to the active jack 10.The conductors 16 are led through the housing of the active jack 10 tomake contact with the printed circuit board (PCB) 18. According to oneembodiment of the invention, the PCB 18 has an x dimension ofapproximately ⅝ inches and a y dimension of approximately 2 inches andis of a multi-layer construction with a maximum copper area fill forheat dissipation, and is capable of supporting electronic components 20.The housing is shown in an exploded view away from the circuit board 18to expose thermal contacts 22 which in one embodiment aid in conductingheat from the circuit board 18 and components 20 to the housingcomponents such as component 12 b. The active jack 10 is shown in FIG. 1b in relation to a mountable faceplate 24 of the type typically used ascommunication ports in wall locations.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the thermal designof the active jack 10 supports the environment within the enclosure of adata outlet. Since according to some embodiments there is virtually noairflow in this enclosure, heat dissipation is not effective. The activejack design may incorporate a low thermal resistance contact to theoutside of the enclosure through the connector housing 12 b, as shown inFIG. 1 b. In another embodiment of the current invention the housing isconstructed of a high thermal conductivity material, such asmetal-impregnated material, to aid in the dissipation of generated heat.In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the electroniccomponents 20 on the printed circuit board 18 are provided within one orboth of the housings 12 a and 12 b of the active jack 10.

Turning now to FIG. 2 a, a schematic drawing of an active wall jack 10according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Thecomponents of the active jack unit 10 according to one embodiment of thepresent invention are mounted on the PCB 18. The components shown inFIG. 2 a are shown as functional units which may be realized in variousforms of integration. The components include an at least dual portEthernet physical device (PHY) 26 comprising receivers 28 a and b andtransmitters 30 a and 30 b. While a dual port Ethernet device is shownin FIG. 2, it is to be understood that the principles of the presentinvention can be applied to active jacks having more than two ports, asfurther discussed below.

The receivers 28 and transmitters 30 are electrically connected torespective receive transformers 32 a and b and transmit transformers 34a and b. The receive transformers 32 a and b and the transmittransformers 34 a and b are further electrically connected to aplurality of conductors (ref 16 in FIG. 1) of the respective housings 12a and b. The conductors may take the form of a network-side connection37 and a user-side connection 39. The PHY 26 is connected to an EthernetMedia Access Controller (MAC) processor 36 which functionally forms atwo-port Ethernet switch.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, power for thecircuit of the active jack 10 is obtained from an IEEE 802.3AF compliantPSE source which according to one embodiment supplies negativecommon-mode voltage which is extracted from the center tap of thereceive transformer 32 a to a negative rail 38 and a positivecommon-mode voltage which is extracted from the transmit transformer 34a to a positive rail 40. The IEEE 802.3AF standard also allows for thenegative and positive lines to be switched. A DC-to-DC converter 42 isconnected to the negative rail 38 and positive rail 40 and supplies thecircuitry of the active jack 10 with power. A resistor 44 is placedacross the voltage rails 38 and 40 with sufficient resistance to signalto the PSE the presence of a Power Requiring Device (PD). According toone embodiment of the present invention, the resistor 44 has aresistance of 26 kΩ, though greater or lesser resistances may be used inparticular embodiments of the invention. In a power supplying throughputmode, the voltage rails 38 and 40 are electrically connected through anoptional switch 46 to the center taps of the transmit transformer 34 band receive transformer 32 b to allow other PDs downstream to obtainpower from the PSE. The IEEE 802.3AF draft standard does not covermultiple PDs on a given circuit so the power requirements ofintermediate PDs such as the active jack 10 must be very small,typically less than a watt. The optional switch 46 may be controlled bythe local MAC processor to provide power control over downstream PDs formanagement and/or security purposes and is discussed further below.

Also shown in FIG. 2 a is the MAC processor 36 which controls a lightemitting diode (LED) 48. According to one embodiment of the presentinvention, the MAC processor 36 serves as a network port identificationcomponent, storing and providing identification information whenrequested. There may be two or more such LEDs 48 controlled by the MACprocessor 36 in communication links: at least one indicates link status,and at least one other indicates transmit/receive activity. According toone embodiment the LED(s) 48 are mounted on the PC board 18 and light isconducted by a light pipe 50 to the exterior jack housing 12 b. Inalternative embodiments the LEDs may be mounted on the housing 12 andelectrically connected to the PCB 18. According to alternativeembodiments, one or more LEDs may be associated with each active jack 10and with each jack housing 12. According to some embodiments of thepresent invention, additional LED ports, or different colors of LEDlight, can be made available to support control or monitoring ofendpoint devices. For example, different colored lights or additionallights may be employed to indicate that an installation is or is notcomplete and to aid in the monitoring and maintenance of cableconnections. Such embodiments may provide installation or maintenancepersonnel with information needed to locate a break in cableconnectivity and thereby pinpoint the connection that requiresattention.

Turning now to FIG. 2 b, an alternative active jack according to oneembodiment of the present invention is shown. In the embodiment of FIG.2 b, a logic chip 51 carries out the functions of the active jack,including such functions as the forwarding of communications through theactive jack, regeneration of signals by the active jack, monitoring andreporting of data throughput, memory storage for installationinstructions and user instructions, logical identification of the activejack, and switching of the active jack to enable or disablecommunications through the active jack. According to one embodiment ofthe present invention, the logic chip 51 includes a memory component forstoring a template of instructions for an installer to follow and/or oneor more data fields for an installer to fill during installation of theactive jack. The logic chip 51 is connected to a network-side connection53 and a user-side connection 55.

Active jacks according to some embodiments of the present invention maybe deployed in power-over-Ethernet environments. In these environments,the active jacks may consume the power needed for their operation whilefalling below the level of power consumption that would identify theactive jacks as powered devices in the power-over-Ethernet environment.Active jacks in such an environment forward power for provisioning topowered devices.

Referring now to FIG. 3 a, a face plate 24 a according to one embodimentof the invention is shown with one active jack 10. Another embodiment isface plate 24 b, shown in FIG. 3 b, with two active jacks 10 a-b.Another embodiment is face plate 24 c, shown in FIG. 3 c, with twoactive jacks 10 a-b and a passive jack 52. It is to be understood thatseveral alternative embodiments employing multiple active and passivejacks may be implemented in specific installations. Also shown in FIGS.3 a, 3 b, and 3 c are LED indicators 49 for facilitating installationand maintenance of active jacks.

Referring now to FIG. 4 a, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention the active jack unit 10 is incorporated into a wall panelmounted in a wall 54 behind a face plate 24 so that the user-side jackhousing 12 b is accessible within the user area 56 as shown. The activejack unit 10 is connected to a horizontal cable 58 by means of aterminating plug 60, which facilitates testing and repair of either theactive jack unit 10 or the horizontal cable 58. Alternatively, theactive jack unit 10 can be connected to a horizontal cable via aninsulation displacement connector.

Active jacks according to the present invention also support the use ofmultiple user-side connections and/or multiple network-side connectionswithin one active jack unit. Such embodiments may be useful inimplementations in which one user device is connected to more than onenetwork on the network side. Further, more than one user device, or userdevices belonging to more than one account owner on a network, may beconnected to a single active-jack and access one or multiple networks onthe network side of the active jack. Constructions of active jackshaving multiple network-side connections also support dual-homingoperation for active jacks. In this operation, an active jack canmonitor more than one network-side connection for operability. If aprimary network connection becomes inoperable or suffers othercommunications problems, active jacks according to the present inventionmay automatically switch to a secondary network connection. Thisprovision for redundancy of network connections can significantlyenhance the reliability of network access at an active jack employingsuch a dual-homing system.

Embodiments of active jacks according to the present invention usingmultiple user-side and/or network-side connections are shown in FIGS. 4b, 4 c, and 4 d. The active jacks of FIGS. 4 b, 4 c, and 4 d areincorporated into wall panels, but it is to be understood that theycould alternatively be incorporated into other network components asdesired. FIG. 4 b shows an active jack having two network-side connectorhousings 12 a and 12 c for connection to two network-side terminatingplugs 60 a and 60 b which in turn are connected to one or more networksvia two horizontal cables 58 a and 58 b. The active jack of FIG. 4 ballows for one connection in a user area 56 to have access to more thanone network connection. While two network connections have been shown,it is to be understood that more than two network connections may beemployed on the network side in this and other embodiments.

Turning now to FIG. 4 c, an active jack having two user-side connectorhousings 12 b and 12 d for connection to two user devices. Onenetwork-side connector housing 12 a is shown for connection to anetwork-side terminating plug 60, which in turn is connected to anetwork via a horizontal cable 58. This embodiment allows two userdevices to be connected to the active jack assembly. Further, becauseeach of the user-side connector housings 12 b and 12 d can support thefunctionality of a separate active jack, the embodiment of FIG. 4 cenables all active jack functions to be equally applied to more than oneuser-side device via a direct wall connection. While two user-sideconnections have been shown, it is to be understood that more than twouser-side connections may be employed in this and other embodiments.

FIG. 4 d shows an active jack embodiment in which two network-sideconnector housings 12 a and 12 c and two user-side connector housings 12b and 12 d are employed. In this embodiment, more than one user device,such as a VOIP phone or other user device, may be connected to more thanone network-side connection. The embodiment of FIG. 4 d allows for adual-homing application for an active jack wall assembly having multipleuser-side active jacks. Thus, multiple users or multiple user devices onthe user side 56 of the jack may be provided with network redundancy inthe event of failure of a primary network or other communicationsproblems.

In a communication network it is desirable to be able to identify thephysical location of each user. This is especially important insupporting an electronic emergency 911 database for VOIP, in which thelocation information can greatly facilitate the ability of personnel torespond to an emergency. Location information can also support amanaged, structured cable plant. Referring now to FIG. 5, an active jack10 mounted in the wall 54 of an area 62 connected via a horizontal cable58 to a patch panel 64 and through a patch cord 66 to an IP router 68 isshown. According to one embodiment of the present invention a specificactive jack 10 is associated with its physical location information in adatabase. To associate the active jack 10 with its physical location,the physical location of the area 62 may be associated with informationregarding the active jack—e.g., its MAC address—in a database 70, whichaccording to some embodiments is an E911 database or a databaserecognized by an E911 program.

Further, devices within the area 62 and connected to the active jack 10may be identified according to item type or item model, thereby enablingan inventory of items connected to active jacks 10 and the real-timemonitoring of equipment connected to networks via active jacks 10. Forexample, in a school network active jacks distributed in classroomsallow for centralized monitoring of equipment connected to the schoolnetwork via active jacks. Thus, if a particular computer or opticalprojector were needed, the physical location of that computer or opticalprojector—in addition to the logical location of the device in thecomputer network—can easily be determined as long as the equipment isconnected to the network. According to one embodiment of the presentinvention, inventory information corresponding to the physical locationof devices connected to the network may be associated with a graphicalmap of a network's physical locations to provide a real-time depictionof device locations within a network.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, personnel engagedin the installation of an active jack may associate the active jack andthe active jack's physical location by entering the location informationusing an application running on a PC 72 which communicates with theconnected local active jack 10 which in turn, as stated above, has itsown MAC address. The association of the MAC address of the local activejack 10 with the location data can be recorded on the PC 72 and latertransferred to a management database 70 after a work period of activejack installations. In an alternative embodiment, the associatedinformation is input directly into the database 70 over the connectednetwork. In another method, personnel use a test instrument 74, whichprovides a simpler interface to achieve the same results. The testinstrument 74 can also perform a variety of network tests to ensureproper network installation and connectivity. In yet another embodimenta networked computer 76 is used to update the location database based onwork order entry information. The database 70 as depicted in FIG. 5 mayreside as part of a network manager system, as part of the IP router 68or as part of a voice gateway for VOIP systems.

Turning now to FIG. 6 three connection paths are shown to illustratemethods of managing a structured interconnection cable network 78 usingactive jacks 10. The structured network used for this example is a PSEIP switch/router 80 connected by patch cords 82 to a first patch panel84 having passive jacks as ports and by a patch cord 86 to a secondpatch panel 88 which has active jacks 10 c as ports. In the firstconnection path 90 of FIG. 6, a user device 92 a, such as a VOIP phone,is connected via a passive jack 52 to the network 78. User devices foruse with this and other embodiments of the present invention may bephones such as VOIP phones, computers, and the like and may be powereddevices that draw power from network connections. In the firstconnection path 90 if there is an open connection anywhere in the cablesystem or if the device 92 a is a powered device and is disconnectedfrom the wall jack 52, the device 92 a will power down. This can bedetected by the PSE IP switch/router 80 but the reason—e.g., cable plantissue, an office connection or device powering down—cannot bedetermined. If a patch cord 82 or the connecting horizontal cable 94 awere moved the movement would only be detected as the powering down ofthe device 92 a. A patch panel containing active jacks as ports may beconsidered a managed interconnect patch panel because it enables themonitoring and control of connections similarly to a cross-connect patchpanel system while requiring only one patch panel.

In a second connection path 96 of FIG. 6, a user device 92 b isconnected to the network 78 by means of an active wall jack 10 a. Inthis scenario a cable movement or an open circuit in either the patchcord 82 or the horizontal cable 94 b causes the user device 92 b (if theuser device is a powered device) and the active jack 10 a to power down.At this time the PSE IP switch/router 80 may note in a database that theuser device 92 b and the active jack 10 a are no longer present, i.e.,drawing power. When the power is restored (via a cable change or repairin the case of an open circuit) the PSE IP switch/router 80 notes that apowered device is connected due to the sensing of a power request at thePSE IP switch/router 80. Furthermore, the active jack 10 a and thedevice 92 b send Ethernet ARP messages on powerup indicating presence onthe network. If only the device 92 b is disconnected then its loss willbe detected by the PSE IP switch/router 80 and the active jack 10 a canstill be reached and queried by management software. Further, when onlythe user device 92 b is disconnected and later reconnected, on powerrestoration only the re-powered device 92 b will respond with theEthernet ARP message. The active jack 10 a and thereby the user device92 b can be associated with a given physical location, assistingmanagement with notification of disrupted service.

When active jacks are deployed in a patch panel 88, as shown in a thirdconnection path 98, the active jacks in the wall facilitate themaintenance of a structured and managed cable plant. However, there issome additional functionality that can be derived by having active jacktechnology at the patch panel and the client destination point. In thethird connection path 98, a user device 92 c is connected to the network78 by means of an active wall jack 10 b and a horizontal cable 94 c to apatch panel 88 which contains active jacks 10 c. The patch panel 88 is,in turn, connected via patch cords 86 to the PSE IP switch/router 80. Inthis scenario open circuit breaks, cable movements, and/or movement ofthe user device 92 c can be isolated and separately identified as theconnecting network is segmented by active devices 92 c, 10 b and 10 c.Each of the active devices mentioned respond to Ethernet ARP requestsand produce Ethernet ARP messages on power up situations. For example,if there is a movement of the patch cord 86, the user device 92 c, theactive jack 10 b and the patch panel jack 10 c will all power down. Atthis point the PSE notes that the user device changed state in theamount of power requested and can thus distinguish between only a userdevice 92 c removal and horizontal or patch cord open circuits and/ormovements. When power is restored all previously powered down devicessend Ethernet ARP requests on the network indicating presence.Furthermore, if the interconnection between a port of the PSE device 80and an active port on the patch panel 88 or between the patch panel 88and the active jack 10 b has been changed then the location of thechange can be determined and managed.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the use of the active jack 10 to controlnetwork access to a LAN 100 is illustrated. In this embodiment, userdevices 102 a-n, such as VOIP phones, are attached to the networkthrough respective active jacks 10 a-n in respective locations 104 a-n.While only four user devices are shown in four locations, it is to beunderstood that systems and methods according to the presentation may beused with a number of devices in a number of locations. The active jacks10 a-n are connected to a patch panel 106 by a horizontal cable plant108. The patch panel 106 is connected to a PSE IP router device 110which is connected to an uninterrupted power source (UPS) 112 andsupplies power via the IEEE 802.3AF draft standard to downstream powerrequiring devices, e.g. 102 a-n and 10 a-n. The PSE device 110 isconnected to an IP router 114 which also serves as a VOIP gateway and isconnected to or contains a database 116. A network manager 118 is alsoconnected to the LAN 100 and in one embodiment of the present inventionis capable of monitoring and controlling the various network elementssuch as the routers 110 and 114 and the active jacks 10 a-n via SimpleNetwork Management Protocol (SNMP) messages. According to someembodiments of the present invention, network managers execute networkmanagement programs for implementing network management tasks.

As shown in FIG. 2, the active jack 10 has a DC power switch 46 which iscontrolled by the local processor 36. The active jack 10 contains theswitch 46 and thus both the data connectivity and the power to anydownstream device can be controlled, for example by the local processor36, enabling enhanced security features such as endpoint isolation,device inventory, and authorization. The network manager 118 can controlthe network elements to disable network access to any endpoint either atperiodic intervals or in response to an external stimulus such as anunauthorized request for service. This may be accomplished by thenetwork manager 118 sending signals to processors 36 located at activejacks 10 to open the switches 46 at specific locations, therebypreventing data flow at those locations. There are applications wherebyduring certain times of the day, access to a managed network can berestricted. Use of the active jack 10 in networks also permits usagemonitoring. For example, it may be useful to restrict access from someoffice to sensitive or restricted internet or intranet sites orlocations. If an unauthorized access is initiated, then the networkmanager 118, aware of the intrusion, can have the option of shutting theactive jack 10 off as well as logging the location of the active jackthat the requesting device is using.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a system according to one embodiment of thepresent invention of providing emergency power via a patch panel as wellas managing the structured cable system using active jacks at the patchpanel is illustrated. User VOIP phones 120 a-n in user areas 121 a-n areconnected through active wall jacks 10 a-n via a horizontal cable plant108 to a powered patch panel 122. The powered patch panel 122 isconnected to an upstream IP switch 124, which during normal operation isthe routing device for the VOIP phones 120 a-n. The powered patch panel122 is also connected to a local emergency power supply 126, such as anemergency battery, and an emergency voice gateway 128, which is alsoconnected to the local emergency power supply 126. In an electricaloutage, the upstream switch 124 may power down and the power patch panel122 may divert voice traffic to the local gateway 128. According to someembodiments, data services may be curtailed in a power outage but voiceservices are maintained for emergency situations.

According to one embodiment of the present invention active jacks areprovided within the patch panel 122 as three-ported devices. In thisembodiment, one port is used for the user connectivity, one port fornetwork connectivity and the third port for connectivity to theemergency voice gateway 128. According to another embodiment of thepresent invention the connectivity to the emergency gateway 128 from thepatch panel 122 is via a shared Ethernet connection. According to yetanother embodiment of the present invention, the patch panel uses anetwork-side switching element to connect the network ports of the patchpanel active jacks to a shared Ethernet bus 130.

Referring now to FIG. 9 a block diagram of one embodiment of a poweredpatch panel 122 is illustrated. In this embodiment active jack units 10a-x of a 24-port patch panel 122 are mounted on a common printed circuitboard 132. A processor 134 is electrically connected to and controls theactivity of the active jacks 10 a-x via a bus 136. A DC-to-DC powerconverter 138 converts an incoming power supply to a power supply asrequired by local circuitry. For example, the power converter 138 mayconvert an incoming 48 volt power supply to 3.3 volts required by thelocal circuitry. The power for the local circuitry is distributed alonga power connection 140 to the active jacks 10 a-x in order to forwardthe power to downstream powered devices. According to one embodiment,the active jack 10 x is assigned to extract 48 volts from an upstreamPSE and distribute the 48 volts via an incoming power connection 142 tothe DC-to-DC converter 138. Optionally, alternative active jacks such asthe active jack 10 w may also be used for power extraction, as forexample when drawing power from a redundant upstream PSE. The DC-to-DCpower converter 138 may determine from which source (e.g., 10 w or 10 x)power will be used. In an alternative embodiment an additional jack orjacks may be employed for the sole purpose of power extraction.

Turning now to FIG. 10, an alternative construction for an active jack144 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Theactive jack 144 may, for example, be used in the embodiment of FIG. 9,in which a common processor 134 and a common DC-to-DC power converter138 is used and the individual jacks need not extract power from anupstream PSE. The active jack 144 of FIG. 10 comprises upstreamtransformers 146 and 148 connected to upstream drivers 150 and 152respectively, and downstream transformers 154 and 156 connected todownstream drivers 158 and 160, respectively. A switch 162 isoperatively connected to the power connection 140 and under processorcontrol via the bus 136 can control the power distributed via downstreampower connectors 164 and 166 to the downstream transformers 154 and 156in order to forward power to downstream powered devices. Thus, only thedownstream transformers 154 and 156 need to be center-tapped for thepurpose of forwarding power. According to yet another embodiment of thepresent invention, the switch 162 may also be operatively connected tothe receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) signals for the purpose ofinterrupting the data connection.

According to one embodiment of a patch panel 122 of FIG. 9, the activejacks 10 have integrated LEDs that aid the installer in eithercross-connect or interconnect systems. FIG. 11 illustrates aninterconnect system in which LEDs 168 associated with active jacks 10 ona patch panel 122 can be illuminated or flash patterns to aid theinstaller. For example, LEDs may indicate where patch cords 86 orhorizontal cables 108 are to be connected to the patch panel 122. In theembodiment of FIG. 11, the patch panel 122 is disposed along acommunication pathway between a PSE IP switch/router 170 and horizontalcables 108. According to one embodiment, illumination of the active jackLEDs is achieved through SNMP messages from a management entity. Inaddition to the facilitation of installation provided by LEDfunctionality, LEDs also allow for improved cable management followinginstallation by providing maintenance personnel with visual indicationsof where inoperable cables are located as well as by providing visibleinstructions for reorganizing cables in a communications network. Whileonly one LED has been shown associated with each of the active jacks144, it is to be understood that multiple LEDs may be associated witheach active jack in some embodiments of the current invention.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 12, inwhich patch panels 122 a and 122 b are deployed in a cascadedmaster-slave configuration. Patch panels deployed in the cascaded mannershown in FIG. 12 enable cross-connect systems with LEDs 168 on eachpanel indicating to an installer where patch cords are to be removed orinstalled.

According to one embodiment of the powered patch panel 122 shown in FIG.13 an electrical supply, such as a 48 volt DC electrical supply, can beobtained from a local power source 172 which may be an AC line PSE or anemergency DC battery pack making the powered patch panel 122 a PSEdevice. According to another embodiment, a power supply, such as a 48volt DC electrical supply, can be obtained by means of one of the localjacks 10 x, as shown in FIG. 9, from an upstream PSE.

In yet another embodiment, shown in FIG. 14, a power supply, such as a48 volt DC electrical supply to the patch panel 122, can be obtainedfrom two independent sources, PSEs 174 a and 174 b, by means of patchcords 176 a and 176 b using active jacks, such as jacks 10 k and 10 l,within the patch panel 122, thus providing redundant DC power sources.

Referring now to FIG. 15, a multiple-dwelling unit (MDU) according toone embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Using activejacks allows service activation at individual dwelling units. Inaddition, security and management of communications for residential andsmall office/home office (SOHO) applications can be facilitated. Abroadband router 178 is connected to a wide area network 180 forexternal connectivity and to a distribution system within the MDU viapatch cords 86 to a patch panel 182, which may be a powered patch panelwith powered active jacks. The patch panel 182 may optionally includeone or more active jacks 10 for management purposes. From the patchpanel 182 a horizontal cable plant connects individual locations 184a-n, which may be individual dwellings. Each location 184 a-n includes awall mounted active jack 10 a-n and a user device 186 a-n. Each activejack 10 a-n has a MAC address and physical location informationassociated with the active jack. Power for the active jacks 10 and theuser devices 186 a-n may be obtained from a UPS source connected to thebroadband router 178 or the patch panel 182. Integrating active jacksinto user areas and/or into the broadband router 178 allows for remotemanagement and diagnosis of cabling infrastructure issues, increasedsecurity of the cabling infrastructure, service activation (i.e.,turning service on and off) and monitoring, power over Ethernetapplications, and indication of devices' physical locations. Performancemonitoring is also enhanced because the exact physical and logicalnetwork location of a problem connection can be identified centrally bya service provider, without the need for more extensive investigation ofbasic location issues.

Multiple dwelling unit applications of the present invention, includingthe benefits of embodiments of active jacks as described herein, may beextended to residential, office, and hotel networks. The distribution ofactive jacks throughout these networks enables a variety of usefulfeatures. One use for active jacks 10 a-n distributed throughout anetwork is the implementation of toll-for-service systems. Such a systemmay be implemented, for example, in a hotel in which each of thelocations 184 a-n is a hotel room or a conference room. The active jacks10 a-n enable the monitoring of data throughput and the reporting ofdata throughput to a network manager. Thus, the network manager maycharge a set fee for the amount of data requested or sent by the devices186 a-n. Further, because each of the active jacks 10 a-n may beswitched on or off by a network manager, the ability to use the activejacks 10 a-n in the locations 184 a-n may be centrally controlled toallow use of individual active jacks only for those who have paid foruse of the active jacks, including the ability to halt data flow throughthe active jacks 10 a-n once a paid-for time period has expired. Paymentschemes of payment per data packet or other data unit and time-basedpayment may be implemented, allowing for the efficient allocation ofnetwork bandwidth to those who pay for it. Active jacks may bedistributed in a network tree architecture, such that network access byseveral users of separate active jacks, for example within a conferenceroom, may be easily managed by a network manager without the need toaddress each active jack within an access-enabled area. Active jacksaccording to the present invention may be connected to other activejacks provided within a network, and active jacks provided within wallsmay be connected to other active jacks provided in walls or to activejacks provided in patch panels. Further, in some network architecturesaccording to the present invention, active jacks provided within patchpanels may be connected to other network jacks provided in patch panels.

The use of active jacks in a multiple-dwelling unit as shown in FIG. 15also enhances cable management for a service provider by allowing theidentification of communication problems at individual spans of cable.Centralized control and monitoring of active jacks also allows a networkmanager to determine if unauthorized network access—or network“pirating”—is attempted and further provides the network manager withinformation necessary to determine the physical location of attemptedunauthorized access.

Because active jacks integrated into patch panels or wall jacks can sendconnection information upstream to a remote network management system,the need to send technicians to remote sites to determine equipmentconditions or to service equipment can be reduced or, in many cases,eliminated. As with other multiple-user embodiments described herein,only a few users have been shown, but it is to be understood that thepresent invention may be used to facilitate implementations with manymore users.

Active jacks according to the present invention can be used to extendthe physical range of Ethernet systems. By regenerating signalsreceived, active jacks positioned along a communication pathway serve toincrease the effective range of signals, resulting in a sturdiercommunication pathway. Also, since each active jack in some embodimentsof the invention regenerates an Ethernet signal it is not necessary toco-locate IP switches and routers with a patch panel. Further, becauseactive jacks can be disposed within patch panels or at wall jacks,communications pathways can be designed to take the greatest advantageof active jack placement while keeping costs low. Active jacks may alsobe used in combination with wireless network elements, such as wirelessaccess points (“WAPs”) to provide the features of active jacks inwireless networks.

FIG. 16 shows a block diagram of a communications network employingactive jacks to extend the network range. In the network of FIG. 16, anetwork element 188, such as a switch, has a first radius “R1” withinwhich the network element may conduct network signals via wiredconnections. Thus, the network element 188 has an operable area 190denoted by a first dotted circle “C1.” Providing a wired connection 192to an active jack 10 positioned near the perimeter of the operable area190 of the network element 188 will increase the effective area of thesystem because the active jack 10 can regenerate communication signals.A second circle “C2” having a second radius “R2” shows the extendedeffective area 194 achieved when the active jack 10 is employed. Furtherextension can be achieved by employing multiple active jacks 10 or byproviding an additional wired connection 196 from the active jack 10 toa wireless access point 198. It is to be understood that active jacksused for the extension of range as shown in FIG. 16 may be provided aswall jacks or as active jacks within patch panels. Further, it is to beunderstood that wireless access points 198 and active jacks 10 may bedeployed in a variety of configurations as desired in particularnetworking applications, and that active jacks may be provided withinareas served by wireless access points to regenerate signals from thewireless access point along an additional cabled line. Additionally,while R1 and R2 have been shown approximately equivalent to each otherin FIG. 16, it is to be appreciated some embodiments of the presentinvention may employ two different radii. Wireless access points anddual-homing active jacks (described above with reference to FIG. 4 b)may be employed to switch device access from a primary wireless accesspoint to a secondary wireless access point when networking problemsdevelop with the primary wireless access point.

Turning now to FIG. 17, a cross-sectional view is shown of a patch panelassembly 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Thepatch panel assembly 200 is adapted for use in a powered patch panel forproviding power to end-point devices such as, for example, VOIPtelephones. According to one embodiment, the patch panel is a 24-portmid-span patch panel capable of supplying power over Ethernet (PoE)under the IEEE 802.3af standard and under a proprietary power-providingtechnique such as the technique employed by Cisco Systems, Inc. Thepatch panel includes power source control circuitry for supplying powerto endpoint devices. According to one embodiment, managementconnectivity to a local area network (LAN) is accomplished in a daisychain manner through a Network Interface Card (NIC). Daisy chaining themanagement ports reduces the waste of Ethernet switch ports that canresult when other PoE power supplying equipment requiring a singleEthernet switch port per unit is connected to an Ethernet switch.

According to one embodiment, a patch panel according to the presentinvention is capable of supplying 48 V DC power over 100 meters ofunshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling. The following modes of operationare available and set by auto-sensing circuitry:

-   -   Provide IEEE 802.3af compliant power in accordance with mid-span        powering requirements    -   Provide power according to another protocol, such as the Cisco        Systems, Inc. proprietary protocol    -   Pass power on from an end-span device (e.g., a switch) power        supplying equipment (PSE) supplying power on pairs (1,2) and        (3,6) of an eight-conductor cable.

According to one embodiment, the detection of devices adapted to receivepower via the IEEE 802.3af standard is accomplished first by scanning.For devices that are found not to comply with the standard, a secondscheme is used to scan for powered devices complying with anotherprotocol, such as the protocol used by Cisco Systems, Inc.

A power-supplying patch panel according to the present invention maysupport 10/100 Base-T Ethernet transmissions through 24 ports in one 19″EIA standard rack space. The patch panel is adapted to receive powerfrom a local power source and provide power to powered devices usingcommunications cables, without requiring separate power sources for eachpowered device. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the patch panel assembly200 contains RJ-45 jacks 202 on a front panel 203, such as a metal faceplate. Standard 110 punch-down blocks 204 are provided in a rear panel205 in the rear of the patch panel assembly 200.

LED indicators 206 are provided for display on the front panel 203 toshow powered device (PD) status. Additional LEDs may be provided to showsystem status. According to one embodiment, two LEDs of different colorsare provided for each port, allowing additional information to beconveyed. Two LEDs (not shown) may be provided on the rear panel 205near NIC ports (not shown) to provide visual indications of systemmanagement status. The LEDs 206 may be provided on a front PCB 208, witha light pipe 210 serving as a conduit to allow the light to be visibleon the front panel 203.

A main printed circuit board 212 holds electronics mounted to a surfacemount side 214 and to a through-hole-and-surface-mount side 216. Themain printed circuit board 212 is connected via a front flexible circuitboard 218 to the front PCB 208 and via a rear flexible circuit board 220to a rear PCB 222. The rear printed circuit board is connected to thepunch-down blocks 204 and is supported by a mechanical support 224. Asshown in FIG. 18, the flexible circuit boards 218 and 220 may beconnected to PCBs with tabs 226. The incorporation of flexible circuitryas an interconnect within the panel reduces cost, reduces the size ofthe unit, and improves performance and flexibility. According to oneembodiment, the distance L from the RJ-45 jacks 202 to the punch-downblocks 204 is approximately four inches.

Turning now to FIG. 19, a powered patch panel 228 is shown along anetwork pathway between an Ethernet switch 230 and a user PoE device232. A patch cord 234 connects the Ethernet switch 230 to the poweredpatch panel 228 and horizontal cabling 236 connects the powered patchpanel 228 to the user PoE device 232. The horizontal cabling 236 isconnected to the powered patch panel 228 via, for example, 110punch-down connections (not shown) at the rear of the powered patchpanel 228. The powered patch panel 228 may include powered patch panelassemblies 200 as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

The incorporation of powered patch panels according to the presentinvention into a rack can increase the density of supply PoE portswithin a rack. Powered patch panels 228 according to the presentinvention may be provided in different configurations. For example,FIGS. 20 a and 20 b respectively illustrate front and top views ofpowered patch panels 228 a having a straight configuration, withmultiple powered patch panels 228 a mounted in a rack environment 238.Similarly, FIGS. 21 a and 21 b respectively illustrate front and topviews of powered patch panels 228 b having an angled configurationmounted in a rack environment 238. The powered patch panels 228 b havingthe angled configuration allow for improved management of patch cords234.

A powered patch panel may provide all PoE capabilities without anyexternal software. A software manager may also be provided. Managementsoftware may be provided as a stand-alone Element Manager (EM) that willbe used in implementations without a Network Management System (NMS).Management capabilities may also be provided through NMS software. Inone embodiment, each patch panel requires an IP address in order toutilize management capabilities, with Dynamic Host Control Protocol(DHCP) being the default method of assigning an IP address.

Powered patch panels according to the present invention may incorporateactive jacks or they may be provided with non-active communicationjacks. In the latter case, powered patch panels are adapted for use asstandard patch panels with the additional function of providing power topowered devices.

Powered patch panel EM software has several capabilities. For example,EM software can allow a network administrator to discover all compatiblepowered patch panels in a network. Physical location informationregarding the powered patch panel—such as patch panel room location andrack number—may be entered into the EM software. Individual ports may beselectively turned on or off upon command. Ports may be selectivelypowered down depending on criticality. For example, ports may be powereddown selectively in the event of a power outage requiring emergencybackup power. Real-time graphical display of panel power status andfault conditions, and port and PD status, may be provided. Some or allof these features may be incorporated into EM software.

While particular embodiments and applications of the present inventionhave been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the precise construction and compositionsdisclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variationsmay be apparent from the foregoing descriptions without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A method for managing power provided to endpoint devices alongcommunication cables in a network, said method comprising: providing apowered patch panel having: a plurality of front-side RJ-45communications connectors provided in a front panel of said patch panel;a plurality of back-side punch-down block communications connectorsprovided in a rear panel of said patch panel, each of said punch-downblock communications connectors being electrically connected to acorresponding one of said RJ-45 communications connectors; power sourcecontrol circuitry connected intermediate each of the plurality of RJ-45communications connectors and the plurality of punch-down blockcommunications connectors, said power source control circuitry beingoperative to supply power from a power supply to said endpoint devicesalong said communications cables; and a first management port providingconnectivity between the communications patch panel and a networkmanagement system of said network; and managing said patch panel via aconnection to said first management port using management software. 2.The method of claim 1 wherein managing said patch panel comprisesselectively turning power on or off for each of the RJ-45 communicationsconnectors provided on said patch panel.
 3. The method of claim 1wherein managing said patch panel comprises selectively powering downports in the event of a power outage.
 4. The method of claim 1 whereinsaid patch panel is further provided with a second management port. 5.The method of claim 4 further comprising: providing a secondary poweredpatch panel having a management port; and daisy-chaining said secondarypowered patch panel to said powered patch panel by connecting a cordbetween said management port of said secondary powered patch panel andsaid second management port of said powered patch panel.